Convergence Controller SD Switch Box for Cellular Handsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cellular handsets lack seamless integration with consumer electronic devices supporting SD connections, facing challenges in booting up, communication, and managing sleep modes while accessing shared SD memory.
Innovation Solution
A convergence controller acts as an SD switch box, enabling communication between the cellular base band modem and CE host devices, resolving access conflicts through mailboxes and allowing the modem to bypass NOR flash memory during booting and transition into sleep mode without data loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the cellular modem connects to external SD memory via SD bus, then non-volatile storage capacity is improved, but access conflicts occur when both CE device and modem need simultaneous access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a convergence controller as an intermediary device that sits between the CE host device and the cellular base band modem, managing access to the shared SD memory. The controller includes mailboxes for communication and arbitration logic to resolve access conflicts, allowing one device to access SD memory while the other uses UART interface, thus eliminating simultaneous access conflicts.
2Speed
If the modem bypasses NOR flash memory during booting, then boot speed is improved, but boot process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the convergence controller load the boot image from SD memory into the modem's internal SRAM before the modem needs to execute it. This pre-loading process occurs during the initialization phase, allowing the modem to boot faster by executing from SRAM without repeatedly accessing NOR flash memory during the critical boot sequence.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the modem transitions to sleep mode, then power consumption is reduced, but state parameter retention becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The convergence controller acts as an intermediary that maintains state parameters during modem sleep mode. When the modem transitions to sleep mode to reduce power consumption, the controller preserves necessary state information in its own memory structures and can restore the modem's operational state upon wake-up, preventing information loss while enabling energy savings.
4Reliability
If mailboxes are implemented for communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the communication functions into the existing convergence controller structure, combining mailbox-based reliable communication with the SD memory arbitration and UART management in a single integrated controller. This consolidation improves communication reliability between the CE device and modem while minimizing additional complexity by reusing existing controller resources rather than adding separate dedicated communication hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A cellular handset, including a base band modem that transitions between a normal mode, a sleep mode and a shutdown mode, flash memory, coupled with the base band modem, for storing code and data used for operation of the base band modem in normal mode, a memory controller, coupled with the flash memory, for accessing the flash memory, and a convergence controller, connected to the base band modem and to the memory controller, comprising a host port for connecting an external host device to the cellular handset, wherein the convergence controller enables the external host device to access the flash memory while the base band modem is in sleep or shutdown mode.